Am I shocked? No. Surprised? Yes.
The Story: Stalemate in Detroit: City Council Asks Mayor to Resign, but He Refuses to Go (via New York Times)
Quote:
The City Council on Tuesday asked Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick to resign in light of evidence that he had lied under oath and plotted to cover up an extramarital affair with his former chief of staff.
The 7-to-1 Council vote is not binding, and Mr. Kilpatrick has vowed to remain in office.
Nonetheless, the Council’s action is a political blow for the mayor, and support for the measure was greater than expected. Council members spoke highly of Mr. Kilpatrick but said he could no longer govern effectively, given the scandal that has enveloped Detroit for nearly two months.
“It is a vote of no confidence in the mayor’s ability to move the city forward at this time,” said Councilwoman Sheila M. Cockrel, who drafted some of the 33 reasons listed in the resolution for the mayor to step down. “It is a tragedy — an enormous talent that has been squandered.”
The mayor’s spokeswoman, Denise Tolliver, reiterated Mr. Kilpatrick’s determination to remain in office.
“While certain members have been playing judge and jury in the court of public opinion, Mayor Kilpatrick has continued to stay focused on advancing bold initiatives, such as his economic stimulus package,” she said in a statement. “As Mayor Kilpatrick has said before, he will stay in office, he will stay focused on city business, and he will continue to lead our city forward.”
As others have pointed out, this article fails to mention that the Major of Detroit is, in fact, a Democrat. His Mother is a Democrat Michigan Representative. Her name is Carolyn Kilpatrick. Which is why, as many locally suspect, is why he was elected Mayor, His mommy pulled the right strings. Mike Hendrix, a local man who ran against him, suspected that there was tampering of the polls. However, these charges were dismissed by many.
Do I think he should resign? Yes, I do. He disgraced the office and the fallout will be region-wide. However, it might not matter, there is a full scale investigation going on and the results will be released next week. Should be interesting indeed.
Others on this: Matthew Yglesias, NewsBusters.org, Associated Press and JammieWearingFool (via Memeorandum)